Dev

Maybe if the big wigs can sort out more suitable commercial deals then the smaller clubs who currently have little opportunity to get into the SPFL can see some of that extra cash trickled down to them? imagine having to travel from Stirling, Dumfries etc and making a massive financial loss for several years Two really good points.

As above, which follows the Welsh example of incentivising lower placed clubs with a chance of a money making place in European competition. Most of the lower clubs will rarely get a sniff at Europe unless there is something along the lines put forward by virginton. Otherwise the Euro club money goes back to the same clubs (more or less) each season so propping up their budgets for players etc and maintaining their dominance, making it a closed shop (well, more or less).

(a) Consistency of officiating (b) Help for officials out with Tier 1 (c) Training and observations by peers as opposed to observers who have been out the game for years and have no practical application of the new laws and interpretations (d) Accountability and transparency by officials (e) Allowances for officials to show some personality in their matches as opposed to the linear robotic route they are going down. All of the above. Do other refs/ex-refs agree with this? Let's hope so and if they do they need to speak up and not be afraid to do so as Refs need help to make the game better for players and spectators alike. This applies throughout the game, not just in Scotland.

But wouldn't Jeanfield reach Tier 5 quicker by going up the Highland League route rather than down the Lowland League route i.e. winning the EoS and then needing to defeat the WoS champions (if they are licenced!)?

It also helps to explain why Knightswood was considered to be a suitable club for the WoS. Of course, the real BSC has their own ground sorted now.

This copied from a post today by LeedsPhil on the NLM site: " Knightswood played their first match at Scotstoun (one of the outside 3Gs), but then their next 2 were moved to North Kelvinside Primary School 3G (Sat 5 & Mon 14 Aug).At the first one of those I was told that they had had the Scotstoun pitch booked for that match too, but Scotstoun cancelled their booking due to athletics taking over the whole complex that day.So just temporary use of the Primary School, and Knightswood will be back to Scotstoun. ...but only for the rest of this season :Work will start in October on their own ground, with target completion in May, to be used from the start of the 2024-25 season. "It is being modelled on Benburb". " Anyone know where their new ground will be located?

Once a few Tayside clubs reach the Highland League could it even encourage the likes of Jeanfield Swifts to reconsider their position in the pyramid?

jimbaxters This thread is a great idea.

That is something which has been posted previously on P&B, maybe this thread, not sure. If I recall correctly Glasgow Athletic already use the existing facilities and have been comparing working with Clyde and Finnart in future so that they can submit their views/preference to the Council. They might be the King Makers - and also another medium term possible WoS club.

Anyone have any idea about these reports? Are they real? Iranian and North Korean projectiles and rockets being used by Ukraine? www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+News/Europe/Eastern+Europe/Ukraine has these links: english.nv.ua/nation/at-the-front-ukraine-firing-122-mm-projectiles-manufactured-in-iran-this-year-50342779.html asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Ukraine-war/Ukraine-war-Free-to-read/Ukraine-from-July-21-to-July-31-Kyiv-fires-North-Korean-rockets-at-Russian-positions

With so many Russian families already directly affected by the Invasion through loss of loved ones and or friends it seems like a super idea to provide them with the training to strike back at the Mafia which runs the country.

It also gives Girkin protection from arrest for his dirty work!

Let's see? If it was voted upon today then presumably the relevant AGM was where the vote was held - so was that today? Just asking as I don't know the answer. Less than 12 months warning of significant changes to promotion/relegations etc etc would not be reasonable would it? Waivers are not the issue.

When do the changes come into effect? Is it the start of 2024/25? Surely any changes have to be brought into effect with min. 12 months notice from the relevant AGM? All such AGMs have long gone. That would mean new rules in time for the start of the 2025/26 season wouldn't it?

This was here on P&B after they came into the EoS. Whether or not it happens?

It need not be necessary to sell the ground if a carefully worded long term lease can be agreed instead! In any case there sounds as though there is a serious need to check what can physically be done first of all at the existing ground if it is proposed to bring it up to SFL standard. If needed works cannot be done then they'll have to relocate.

Then there's clubs which have expressed hopes of going for a Licence - so they would have plans for flood-lights too, given time: Crossgates Primrose; Glenrothes; Edinburgh United; Ormiston Primrose; Tweedmouth Rangers. Fauldhouse United also have plans to get flood-lit. Presumably they'd be thinking about Licencing too?

What you all seem to be saying is that clubs really need to buy into their local catchment areas. Link with community groups outside football etc. Many will already do that and they don't need to be clubs in established towns and villages, or communities such as: " that big belt of what the sociologists would call "established middle class" housing from Newlands all the way down to say Clarkston and Giffnock where a lot of their fans seem to come from " which Hillonearth rightly refers to. It's one reason why Community clubs are cropping up and now reaching the Pyramid leagues. Those clubs are buying into the future loyalty of those ex kids /youth players after they reach the middle-age stage. It's a cracking good example for older, more traditional, clubs to try to follow.

At the end of the day every club has to provide a home ground for Wosfl matches. They either long-term lease or own their own ground or hire somebody-else's. All ways mean significant costs for maintenance or hire each season. If a club is up for playing in the WoSfl that is what they must be capable of taking on. If the ground happens to be outside the club's "home" community that is an issue primarily for the club concerned as it may well affect levels of support, viability etc. The problem for the club comes when the location, whether owned, long-term leased or hired on a seasonal basis, is no longer available or they cannot afford the up-keep or to pay any rent due. If they can do all of that then what more is needed. The team on the pitch will be what most think about not the behind the scenes situation, after all. End of sermon!

"Russian media outlets are now reporting that Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov has just left Russia for Turkey. Incidentally, the Deputy PM happens to be the richest member of the government (at least according to reported wealth). 1:48 pm · 24 Jun 2023" · This Tweet from not so long ago. What is the latest? Did he go? Has he returned? Anybody know?

Surprised that there's no ramp for wheelchair/disabled access.

Now that the FC to City reverse is cut and dried it shouldn't be too long before we know what name Craigroyston are playing under this coming season.

There's a huge irony in that substitutes were brought in firstly at the highest levels and then the numbers were increased. This filtered down to the lowest levels of the sport and, inevitably meant that clubs were drawn into using the maximum number of substitutes permitted. Clubs at the lowest levels of the game have gone from being just 11 players with a few reserves to being 11 plus substitutes plus reserves so there are more players per team than there once was. Inevitably this means that there are fewer teams but more players failing to get into starting line-ups. It's a crazy situation. In addition, the use of substitutes has meant that the pace of the whole game has been raised and lasts for the full 90 minutes. It is arguable that this has lead to more injuries to players i.e. you are more likely to pick up a damaging contact injury if the pace of the game doesn't decrease towards the end as it used to do. Does the use of substitutes need to be reduced outside the top levels of the sport so that there can be more teams and more players getting the chance to be in the starting line-up. Players are less likely to stay with a team if they're just used as substitutes or reserves and more likely to spend Saturday afternoons elsewhere. What's other's experience of this? Thoughts?

As usual quite a few long treks. These stood out to me anyway: Banchory St Ternan v Maybole Buchanhaven Hearts v Ardeer Thistle Burghead v Lesmahagow Fraserbugh Utd v Shotts Bon Accord Hurlford Utd v Sunnybank Islavale v Greenock Nairn St Ninian v Ardossan Winton Rovers Vale of Leven v Newmachar Utd Whitehills v Caledonian Locomotives

?? Is that correct. It would make Craigroyston into Edinburgh City "B". Stand back!